Charleston area’s aerospace cluster lifting wages, quality of life across the board

The Charleston area’s growing aerospace cluster, led by Dreamliner maker Boeing Co., is creating a “knowledge economy” that’s boosting employment and wages across the board at a level much higher than the rest of South Carolina, according to economists and employment numbers.

“Regions of the country that are high-tech knowledge hubs have the highest wages and employment growth, and Charleston is a case study of that,” said Joey Von Nessen, a research economist at the University of South Carolina whose “Uncovering the Stealth Cluster” report examines the aerospace industry’s impact on the area.

“It’s not just Boeing but the entire supply chain that’s hiring highly skilled workers, and that’s having positive multiplier effects,” Von Nessen said.

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